Issue - meetings

-        Hester Rowell, Head of Quality & Patient Experience, Yorkshire Ambulance Service, andDavid Bannister, A and E Locality Manager for Rotherham. 

Further to Minute No. 42 of the meeting of the Health Select Commission held on 24^th October, 2013, Members welcomed Hester Rowell, David Bannister, Steve Rendi and Amanda Best (representing the Yorkshire Ambulance Service)

Hester Rowell, Head of Quality and Patient Experience, Yorkshire Ambulance Service, and Steve Rendi, Locality Manager (Rotherham), reported on the Quality Accounts which would be published in June, 2014 and would provide information on Service performance in the period between April, 2013 and March, 2014. The Service was inviting comments from partner organisations and from the public on the contents of the Quality Accounts report, with a deadline for submission of responses of 31^st December, 2013.

Members received a presentation which highlighted the following issues:-

Clinical Quality Strategy

-          Key part of the Integrated Business Plan

-          Sets out key clinical quality priorities for 2012-2015

-          Focus on evidence based practice and national priorities

-          Focus on most important issues for the people who use the service

What influences the Yorkshire Ambulance Service Clinical Quality Strategy?

-          Learning from the outcome of the Inquiry by Lord Francis into care failings at the Mid-Staffordshire NHS Trust

Quality Accounts 2012-13

-          Accountability

-          Transparency

-          Consultation

Current Priorities

-          Improving the experience and outcomes for patients in rural areas

-          Working with care and residential homes

-          Achieving a reduction in harm to patients (when being transported by ambulance) through the implementation of a safety thermometer tool – it was acknowledged that the incidence of such harm was extremely rare

-          Public education

-          Patient Transport Service improvement

Progress

-          NHS safety thermometer

Increased awareness raising across staff on safety thermometer and harms

Review of Patient Transport Service booking process

Review of dynamic risk assessments

Audit of equipment on vehicles

Standardisation of procedures

Education and training review

Regional Falls Network

-          Public Education

Choose well

: Accident and Emergency (A&E) and the ‘999’ ambulance services are intended for people with life-threatening or serious conditions which need immediate attention, such as heart attacks, strokes, breathing problems or severe bleeding

: if someone needs treatment or advice for a minor illness, ailment or injury, there are a number of services available – self-care, pharmacy, NHS Direct, GPs, walk-in centre, minor injuries unit;

: Pharmacists provide an easily accessible service on the high street and at many supermarkets and can give confidential, expert, free advice;

: by choosing the most appropriate service, people can help to ensure that emergency services such as A&E and ‘999’ are available for those who really need them.

-          Working with care and residential homes

Working in partnership to ascertain reasons for ‘999’ emergency calls, because a high percentage are received from care homes.

-          Patient Transport Service for routine appointments

Patient Transport Service and recruitment

Restructuring the management team

Reviewing how the communication function operates

Re-assessing how work is planned and scheduled

Reviewing rotas to ensure better links between the service and patient needs

Improving how the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 51